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Pediatric Speech Therapy

Speech Therapy Gets Kids Communicating!

Welcome to speech therapy at Agape Pediatric Therapy where love, hope, and expertise come together to help children grow skills for life.

Pediatric speech therapy focuses on improving skills needed for effective communication.  Speech language pathology services help children improve verbal and non-verbal communication, sounds and word pronunciation, grammar and language skills, fluency, understanding and expressing language, and social skills.  Improved communication helps children gain confidence and enjoyment in their interactions at home, on the playground, and at school.

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Speech therapy stimulates language development, models correct vocabulary and grammar and uses repetition to build language skills.  In speech therapy children are taught how to move their tongue and mouth to make specific speech sounds like “r” or “s”.  Oral exercises in speech/feeding therapy strengthen muscles of the mouth needed for eating and swallowing.  For children who are non-verbal, our speech therapists help children communicate with the use of alternative communication tools and devices.

Speech therapy at Agape looks like playing, talking, and connecting.  Our speech therapy team knows children will try hard things and give their best effort when they are having fun.  Speech therapy may include activities like storytelling, playing games to improve cognitive, memory or social skills, practicing certain sounds, turn taking, and pretend play.  Our therapists tailor treatment sessions to meet the interests, needs, and goals of each child.

Our speech therapy team is dedicated to helping children improve their speech, learning, and language skills and reach their greatest potential.

Cerebral Palsy
Benefits

Benefits

Could My Child Benefit from Speech Therapy?

If your child is having difficulties in one or more of these areas, they may benefit from Speech and Language Therapy.

  • Delayed speech or language development for their age
  • Difficulty communicating needs, wants
  • Not understood by adults, other than mom and dad
  • Not using gestures or words to communicate by 1 year
  • History of chronic ear infections or tubes
  • Diagnosed with a hearing impairment
  • Cleft lip, palate, or other condition that inhibits their speech
  • Difficulty pronouncing certain sounds
  • Stuttering
  • Difficulty completing tasks
  • Non-verbal
  • Not interacting with siblings or peers
  • Feeding or swallowing problems
About
Milestones

Speech & Language Development Milestones

Is My Child on Track?

Every child develops at a different rate.  Some children need special help.  The following is a guideline of the average age when children acquire speech, language, oral motor and social skills.  The checklist below offers a guide to track your child’s progress.

If you have questions about your child’s development or if your child has not reached the suggested milestones, call us at 509.942.8474.  We can schedule an evaluation and determine if your child would benefit from speech therapy or if their development is on track.

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3 Months

  • Briefly gazes at people
  • Quiets down when picked up
  • Makes cooing sounds like ooooo, aahh, and mmmmm
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6 Months

  • Makes high-pitched squealing sounds
  • Makes noises like cooing or grunting when when playing
  • Responds to voices or sounds by turning head
  • Makes different sounds like ‘da,’ ‘ga,’ ‘ka,’ ‘ba’
  • Smiles at self in mirror
  • Imitates familiar actions like clapping
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9 Months

  • Responds to name being said
  • Produces 4 or more different sounds like ‘ma-ba’, ‘do-gah’, ‘mumumum’, ‘bababa’
  • Listens to own vocalizations
  • Tries to imitate sounds
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12 Months

  • Say 5-10 words like ‘mama,’ ‘dada,’ and ‘baba’
  • Imitate familiar words
  • Follows simple directions, like ‘come here’, ‘give it to me’, or ‘put it back’
  • Points when he/she wants something
  • Asks for drink or food
  • Shakes head ‘no’
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15 Months

  • Asks for more
  • Waves bye-bye
  • Point to pictures in a book
  • Points to body parts like eyes, nose, toes, and belly
  • Says or signs ‘all done’
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18 Months

  • Say 50-100 different words, including names
  • Goes into another room to find a toy when asked, like ‘get your blanket’
  • Repeats a 2 word sentence
  • Family can understand about 25% of what the child says
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2 Years

  • Combines two words on his/her own
  • Has a vocabulary of 200 – 400 words
  • Uses two of the following words: I, me, you, my, mine
  • Understands differences in meaning (stop vs. go, and big vs. little)
  • Follows 2 step directions (get the toy, give it to me)
  • Asks “what” and “where” questions
  • Family can understand 50-75% of what the child says
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3 Years

  • Points to at least 7 different body parts on him/herself
  • Makes a sentence that has 3-4 words in it
  • Has a vocabulary of 450 words
  • Tells you what is happening in a picture (running, eating, laughing)
  • Tells you their first and last name
  • Talks to children and adults
  • Identifies some colors and shapes
  • Family can understand 75-90% of what child says
  • Correctly produces p, b, m, w, d, and n in words
  • Correctly produces most vowels in words
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4 Years

  • Tells at least 2 things you do with an object, like a ball (throw it and kick it)
  • Uses endings on words, like ‘-s’ to talk about more than 1 item and ‘-ed’ to talk about something that happened in the past
  • Follows 3 step directions
  • Speaks in complete sentences
  • Asks “who” and “why” questions
  • Family can understand 90% – 100% of what child says
  • Correctly produces t, k, g, f, y and -ing in words
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5 Years

  • Uses comparing words, like ‘heavier,’ ‘stronger,’ or ‘smaller’
  • Knows full name and address
  • Answers ‘what do you do when you are hungry?’ or ‘when you are tired?’
  • Is able to have a conversation that makes sense to an adult
  • Uses good grammar in sentences
  • Asks questions to gain information
  • Uses all speech sounds correctly
Benefits
AAC

Speech Therapy for Augmentative & Alternative Communication (AAC)

What is AAC?

Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) is a tool for kiddos with unmet communication needs. This can include children who are verbal or nonverbal with a variety of diagnosis including; childhood apraxia, down syndrome, autism, cerebral palsy. Augmentative alternative communication provides children with alternative modalities to communicate so that they can successfully express their wants and needs. AAC devices can include; speech generating devices, pictures, sign language, facial expressions and gestures.

We recognize AAC as a great multimodality tool and are passionate about helping all children find their voice!

Our speech therapy team empowers kids with tools so they can successfully communicate their wants, needs, and ideas. We support children in obtaining a speech generating device by performing an AAC evaluating, trialing multiple devices, and submitting to insurance for funding. Once received we help kids use their speech generating device to improve communication and train parents in supporting their child’s use of the device at home and in the community.

At Agape Pediatric Therapy we believe everyone deserves a voice.

Milestones
Autism

Speech Therapy for Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)

What is Autism?

Autism, or autism spectrum disorder (ASD), is a neurological and developmental disorder that impacts a child’s ability to interact with others, communicate, learn, and function in the world around them.  According to the Centers for Disease Control, autism now affects an estimated 1 in 36 children in the United States.

We know each child with Autism has their own distinct set of strengths and challenges and requires individualized care.

Our team’s loving and patient approach to pediatric therapy supports the unique needs of children on the spectrum.  Our tailored treatment plans help children with ASD improve their motor, sensory processing, social, and communication skills.  Through therapy, we help children gain confidence, independence, and grow skills for life.  We also partner with parents to provide education, resources, and support.

At Agape Pediatric Therapy we strive to unlock each child’s potential, promoting growth and a positive relationship with the world around them.

AAC
Cerebral Palsy

Speech Therapy for Cerebral Palsy

What is Cerebral Palsy?

Cerebral palsy (CP) is a neurological condition that affects a child’s ability to move, balance, and maintain postural control.  CP is caused by damage or abnormal development in the parts of the brain that control movement.  These events can happen before, during, or shortly after birth when the brain is still developing.  There are several different types of Cerebral Palsy including spastic, dyskinetic, ataxic, and mixed.  CP is the most common motor disability in childhood.  While there is no cure for CP, early treatment is vital to help children reach their full potential.

Our specialized treatment approach focuses on improving functional abilities and quality of life for children with Cerebral Palsy.

Cerebral palsy affects a child’s muscle tone, posture, movement, balance, swallowing, speaking, and motor skills.  Our pediatric speech therapists use proven techniques to help children improve their ability to eat, speak, and communicate.  Our physical therapists help children learn how to roll, sit, crawl, and walk.  Occupational therapists help children with CP learn how to perform everyday tasks like playing, writing and dressing.  Therapy can also support cognitive development including memory, problem solving, and organizational skills.

Our goal at Agape Pediatric Therapy is not only to address the immediate needs of children with Cerebral Palsy, but to also provide education and resources so parents are empowered to help their children have the brightest possible future.

Autism
Developmental Delay

Developmental Delay

What is a Developmental Delay?

A developmental delay is when a child is slow to reach one or more developmental milestones, compared to their same-age peers.  Delays may involve motor function, speech and language, social and emotional, play, and thinking skills.  According to the CDC, approximately 1 in 6 children in the US has some form of developmental delay.  Early detection and treatment is vital to helping children catch up and reach developmental milestones.

Our team of pediatric therapists, PTs, OTs, and SLPs, have extensive experience evaluating and treating children with developmental delays.

When a child is not reaching motor, speech, or social milestones as expected, this can be concerning for parents.  At Agape we empower parents to trust their instincts vs “wait and see”.  An evaluation can determine if a child’s development is delayed or on track.  If a child does present with developmental delays, we will create a treatment plan and work closely with the parents to provide hands-on patient care, parent education and support, and a home program to achieve goals and meet milestones.

At Agape we know every child develops a little differently and some need a little extra support.  Our team loves helping children with developmental delays learn new skills, catch up to their peers, and reach their full potential.

Cerebral Palsy
Down Syndrome

Speech Therapy for Down Syndrome

What is Down syndrome?

Down syndrome is a genetic condition in which a child is born with an extra chromosome number 21.  The extra chromosome is associated with cognitive, communication, and motor delays, as well as an increased risk for other health problems.  Down syndrome, also called trisomy 21 happens by chance and occurs in about 1 in every 700 babies.

We celebrate the uniqueness of every child and find fulfillment in watching individuals with Down syndrome experience the significant benefits of pediatric therapy.

Children with that special 21st chromosome sometimes need a little extra help and will often benefit from occupational, physical, and speech therapy.  Occupational therapy helps children increase independence with tasks like feeding, dressing, and writing.  Physical therapy helps children gain strength and postural control needed for crawling, walking, and running.  Speech and language therapy helps children with Down syndrome improve their ability to communicate and interact with their parents, siblings, and peers.

At Agape Pediatric Therapy our goal is to empower children with Down syndrome to reach their full potential and live full and active lives.

Developmental Delay
About
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Speech Therapy Can Help!

Speech Therapy can help children of all ages gain confidence in their ability to interact and communicate with the people in their world.  At Agape parents can expect to receive education, support, and a home program to maximize their child’s progress.

Join us at Agape Pediatric Therapy, where love, hope, and speech therapy help children grow skills for life.

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